Improvement in bee-hives



SAMUEL V. GREER.

Improvement in Bee-Hives. A

No. 127,479, Patentedlune4,1872.

PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL V. GREER, OF GLASGOW, KENTUCKY.

IMPROVEMENT IN BEE-HIVES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 127,479, @ated June 4,1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL V. GREER, of Glasgow, in the county of Barrenand State ol Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Improvement in BeeHives; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawingmaking part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a frontelevation. Fiff. 2 is a vertical section from front to rea-r, and Fig. 3

is a vertical lateral section. Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the comb-boxesand brood-chamber, showing the button X on the latter.

This invention relates to certain improvements in bee-hives; andconsists in the construction and combination of the several partshereinafter described.

In the drawing,'A is the case or shell of the hive; B, a removablebottom, held in place by screws; and C is a removable cap. The rear ofthe case A has three openings, D D D, covered with perforatedV material,communicating with like openings, covered in like manner, in thecomb-boxes E E and the brood-chamber F for the purposes of ventilation.The front of the case A has two circular openings, G, which form theentrances for the bees. rlwo perforated buttons, H, secured by screws,are arranged and operate to open or close the openings G at the will ot'the operator; being connected by a wire, I, which is coiled around astud, K, on each button H, and extend beyond the ends of the hive, wherethe wire I may be connected with similar wires on the adjacent hives soas to operate any number of buttons H when the hives are arranged inline. A moth-trap, L, is attached to the front of the case A', a shortdistance below the openings G. A strip, M, is secured to the front andparallel with the bottom of the case A and line below the openings G. Atin trough or cup, P, placed within the box V, is filled with grease todestroy the moth after it has gained access to the trap. A partition, Q,is placed at a distance from the top of the case Aof exactly two-thirdsof the whole distance from the top to the bottom. A slide, R, hasopenings, S, corresponding with openings, S,in the partition Q. Theslide R is inserted into its place in the partition Q through a slot, h,in the end of the case A, and provided with a ring, t', by which it maybe drawn partially out, thereby shutting ott' communication between theupper and lower chambers, made by the partition Q. The comb-chambersEandE have openings,W, directly over the right and left hand openings Sand the brood-chamber F has a similar opening, W, over the centralopening S in the partition Q. The bottom of the brood-chamber F isrecessed on its lower side and provided with a button, X, one end ofwhich works on a pivot, the other being provided with a stud, Y, whichdepends therefrom, so as to be caught by a loop,Z, on the end of thewire rod a. The brood-chamber F is divided vertically into fourcompartments, communication being unbroken near the bottom,while for theremainder of the way up, except through the orifices b and c,communication is intercepted. The central partition g of thebrood-chamber F protrudes through the top of the chamber F. The said topis removable. The brood-chamber may be lifted from the ca-se Abygrasping the projectin gportion of the partition g. The comb-boxes E Ehave openings d d vupon their tops provided with buttons e e. The frontsof the boxes E E and the brood-chamber F are of glass for facilitatinginspection. Screws with rings are inserted in the tops of the boxes EE', by which they may be lifted from the case A.

AIn order to get the bees into the hive in the first instance, removethe cap C and the chambers E E and F; drive the bees into the upper,chamber; place a false cap with a hole in it upon the top of the case A,and smoke the bees down into the lower chamber. Draw the slide R so asto close communication between the upper and lower chambers, and thusimprisou the bees in thelower chamber. Remove the false cap, replace thechambers E E and F and the cap (l, and push the slide R to its place.The broodchamber F is placed in the center of the hive for the reasonthat the bees naturally congregate at the center to brood. When the beesare in the brood-chamber F,

by simply pushing the rod a inwardly the button X closes the opening Win said chamber and imprisons the bees. The chamber F can then beremoved and placed in another hive without inconvenience. To rob thehive it is only necessary to remove the cap G, turn the buttons d so asto expose the openings e, and then smoke the bees down to the lowerchamber, where they should be imprisoned by drawing the slide It so asto cut oi' communication between the upper and lower chambers. The boxesE and E can then be removed and the honey taken out Without permitting`the escape of a single bee.

At Sundown the wire I should be drawn so as to cause the perforatedbuttons II to close the openings G. The moth-miller begins to ily aftersunset, and as it ali ghts upon the hive it seeks entrance through theopenings q. After entering it naturally iiutters against the glass frontO and is knocked into the cup P iilled with grease, from which it cannotextricatc itself. By the arrangement of the wire I and perforatedbuttons H a great number of ing partition Q provided with openings S',

substantially as described, for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing im pi'ovement in bee-hives, asabove described, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 19th day ofMarch, 1872.

SAMUEL V. GREEK.

Witnesses:

WM. VRrGI-IT, ELBERT HAnoNs.

